Bottle carrier



Patented Jan. 16, 1923.

UNETEQ STATES iran @FWQE.

HENRY A. SMITH AND MELVIN A. JOHNSON, OF TACOMA, "WASHINGTON.

BOTTLE CARRIER.

Application filed September 30, 1920. Serial No. 413,687.

To all whom it may concern- Be it known that we, Hnxnr A. SMITH and MELVIN A. Jornvsox, citizens of the United States, residing at Tacoma, in the county of Pierce and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle Carriers; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates broadly to improvements in bottle carriers, and it has more part-icular reference to a device of this class which is especially designed for carrying milk bottles. The principal object of the invention is to provide a device of this class which is extremely simple in construction, strong, durable, very effective in use, easy to attach and detach, and extremely inexpensive to both the manufacturer and the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carrier of the above mentioned type which includes a split bottle engaging ring to which the handle is attached, this ring being provided at its free ends with novel means for connecting the ends together, this connecting means being such as to prevent accidental displacement of the device and being very easy to actuate.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same Figure l is a perspective view of a bottle carrier constructed in accordance with my invention, the same being shown attached to a bottle.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device detached from a bottle.

Figure 3 is a similar view disclosing the ends of the bottle engaging ring disconnected, the arrows indicating the direction in which the ends are moved to connect them together.

In the drawings wherein the preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed, the numeral 1 designates, as a whole, our carrier which includes a bail or handle 2 and a bottle engaging ring 3. The bottle engaging ring3 is made from a single length of resilient wire so bent at its free ends as to form eyes 4: and P. That portion of the wire forming the eye a is bent downwardly from the main ring portion 3, and back upon itself in the manner disclosed to provide a depending hook 5 which extends substantially at right angles to the body portion; this hook tapers slightly toward the base thereof, the free end being slightly wider than the base, so that upon being passed downwardly through the eye 4: on the adjacent free end of the wire itwill spring into place due to its resilience, and form a self acting lock to connect the two ends together and prevent unexpected displacement thereof. The wire forming the eye and hook 5 is also extended beyond the hook portion and at right angles thereto, and is bent around into a substantially circular loop lying practically in a plane parallel with that of the bottle engaging portion 3, this loop serving as a finger piece to permit the ends: to be readily connected and disconnected; furthermore this loop does away with the loose upstanding end of wire which would otherwise be present and upon which the user of the device would be apt to cut his hands were the finger piece not present. The handle 2 already referred to is connected to the ring 3 at diametrically opposite points at about 90 from the free ends of the ring. This handle may be connected to the bottle engaging ring in various ways, however, by preference, we further bend the wire at the point indicated to form oppositely disposed eyes 6 to provide a convenient way to connect the book of the bail or handle thereto.

In using the device, it is obvious that the ends of the bottle engaging ring are dis connected in the manner disclosed in Fig. 3 and are sprung apart to permit the ring to be placed around the neck of the bottle. Then. thehook carrying end of the ring is bent upwardly as disclosed in Fig. 3 and it is passed downwardly through the eye 4 until it assumes the position indicated in Fig. 2. Thus, the ends of the ring 3 are connected together and prevented against accidental displacement due to the resiliency of the hook which acts to lock the eye 4 into the adjacent eye i This eye 4 also serves as a finger-piece to permit the ends of the wire to be readily connected and disconnected. After the device is placed around the neck of a bottle, it provides a very convenient means for carrying the bottle and enables a person to carry a plurality of bottles, which under ordinary circumstances is not possible without dropping and breaking the bottles. A device of this character is very useful since it may be effectively used both by the dealers and by the customers. Due to its simplicity it is extremely inexpensive to both the manufacturer and the user.

Since probably the best results may be obtained in the structure shown'and described, this construction and arrangement is taken as the referred embodiment of our invention. Iowever, we wish it understood that slight constructional changes may be made as long as they do not part from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

We claim:

A bottle carrier comprising a single length of substantially circular resilient wire bent at one end to form an eye; the other end being bent downwardly and then upwardly upon itself to form a laterally extending hook composed of two adjacent sections of said wire, said hook being adapted to be passed downwardly through said eye, and also being wider across the end thereof than at the base so that it may be sprung into and automatically held in place Within said eye due to theresiliency of the wire alone, the free end of said book being bent into a second eye substantially at right angles to the hook to provide a combined stop and finger piece, and means adapted to be attached to said circular length of wire for carryingsame when tle.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

HENRY A. SMITH. MELVIN A. JOHNSON.

placed around the neck of a vbot- 

